felipe gordon: tezeta
Francisco Espregueira
Bogota's very own Felipe Gordon has become a true staple in the underground deep house scene. The Colombian producer is known for seamlessly blending complex jazz with club-ready basslines. Now, he is stepping up with his most ambitious project yet. He revisits his friends at Shall Not Fade, to deliver Tezeta. This highly anticipated album marks his seventh full-length excursion and it feels incredibly special right out of the gate. Rather than rushing to meet a deadline to release a record, he gave himself complete creative freedom. He recorded this music during a period of introspection and removed all rigid time constraints and self-imposed pressure. The result is a profoundly complete body of work and the kind of record that instantly feels timeless. It wraps you in a warm sense of familiarity from the very first listen.
The title Tezeta actually holds a specific, deeply emotional meaning. It refers to a traditional Ethiopian musical mode championed by Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke. The word translates roughly to a bittersweet sense of nostalgia, longing, saudade. Gordon beautifully weaves this exact feeling of affection and melancholy through every single track. He uses this soulful ingredient as a foundation for a diverse sonic palette. Throughout the journey, you will hear deep house, downtempo & hip-hop-ish moments, vocals pulling from indie music and dancefloor pop. These effortlessly rub shoulders with dusty breakbeats and moody trip-hop explorations. He deploys a vast array of instruments, analog synthesizers. Every 4/4 beat and chiming chord feels perfectly placed. Ultimately, he has crafted a truly immersive album. A project that will mark 2026 and beyond? Available on vinyl. For collectors and not-collectors.